Tent structure



Nov. 25, 1941.

T. W. BARNARD TENT STRUCTURE :s sheets-sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1941 WEA/Toe 771'0MA5 l/V. A/a/VAED FM., VLA www TTozNEY Nov.25, 1941. r. w. BARNARD 2,263,867

TENT STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 24, 1941 "q sheets-smet s 1 vvE/voe 774044,45 WBAR/veen I fir-roede YJ' UNITED ST TgEs T OFFICE TENT STRUCTURE Thomas W. Barnard, St. Paul, Minn. Application January 24, 1941, Serial No. 375,794

8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in tent structures and more particularly to such a structure which may readily and quickly be set up without the use of rigid frame work or poles, and which may be packed into a small, light bundle for convenient transportation and storage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tent comprising a roof consisting of a at sheet or blank of fabric, substantially in the shape of a trapezium, adapted to be folded on a median line to provide two similar oppositely disposed triangular sections, each forming one-half of the roof.

A further object is to provide a tent structure comprising a one-piece roof folded on a diagonal line dividing it into two similar triangular sections, said ridge extending upwardly at an incline from one corner of the tent to the opposite corner thereof, whereby the apex of the roof is located at one corner of the structure, and a suitable guy rope being secured to the apex of the roof adapted to be secured to a suitable support to sustain the roof in operative position.

A further object is to provide a tent structure which is light in weight and roomy, and requires but one main support and a minimum number of anchors to sustain it in an operative position, whereby it may quickly and easily be set up or taken down in a few minutes, thereby providing a tent which is particularly well suited for campers and tourists, and many other purposes.

A further object is to provide a tent unit comprising a novel roof which is so shaped that when a larger tent is desired, two or more such tent units may be arranged in contiguous relation to provide a relatively larger structure having the appearance of a single tent, the roof apexes of said combined tent units being sustained in operative position by a common support, located centrally of the entire structure.

Other objects reside in the simple and inexpensive construction of the tent unit, whereby it may be manufactured at small cost; in the unique construction of the roof, whereby the apex of the roof is located at one corner of the tent structure, preferably over a suitable door opening, and the other corners of the roof being sustained in position by suitable guy ropes having their free ends secured to suitable anchors; in the construction of a tent which is extremely light in weight and may quickly and easily be set up by simply securing the guy rope attached to the apex of the tent roof to a suitable support, and securing three 'other guy ropes to suitable supports, such as stakesy stones, orl roots, whereby the entire operation of erecting the tent is completed; and, in the provision of a tent structure or unit which is particularly well adapted for use by Boy Scouts, as each unit may be used as an independent tent, or several such units may be combined to provide a council tent, the door opening of said units being so arranged that when two or more such units are combined, the door flaps of each unit may be thrown back or opened to thereby interconnect the interiors of all of said units.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings: f

Figure l is a perspective View showing the tent set up;

Figure 2 is a plan or top View of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view showing the shape of the sheet or blank from which the tent roof is formed; f

Figure lV is a perspective View showing a plurality of tent units such as shown in Figure 1, combined to form a relatively larger tent structure;

Figure 5 is a top or plan view of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective View showing a tent of' slightly modied construction;

Figure 7 is a top or plan view of Figure 6; Iand -Figure 8 is a View showing approximately the shape of the blank from which the roof shown in Figures 6 and 7 is formed.

The novel tent illustrated in Figure l, is shown comprising a plurality of walls 2, 3, 4, and 5, the walls 2 and 5 preferably being simil-ar in shape and construction and the walls 3 4and 4 preferably being alike.

A suitable floor 6 may be provided and is shown suitably secured to the lower marginal edges of the walls 2, 3, 4, and 5, to provide a tight jointbetween said walls and the floor.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the novel construction of the tent roof which, as best shown in Figure 3, is composed of two triangular sections 'l and 8, preferably united along a diagonal line 9, by suitable stitches or other means, not shown, to provide a single sheet or blank. The roof blank may conveniently be made up from standard web stock or fabric material stitched together along the lines II and I2, as indicated in Figure 3.

The roof blank is in the form of a trapezium, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3, whereby when the blank is partially folded along the diagonal line 9 to bring the edges I3 of the sections 1 and 8 into right angular relation in a horizontal plane, the corner I4 of the blank will be elevated to proxide the apex I5 of the tent roof, as clearly illustrated in Figure l. The diagonal fold line then becomes the ridge 9 of the tent roof, and extends upwardly from the corner I6 to the apex I5 of the tent roof on a diagonal, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. It will thus be seen that when the tent is set up, the entire roofis composed of two triangular sections 1 and 8. I'he edges I3 of the roof sections 1 and 8 constitute the eaves of the roof, generally designated by the numeral I'I in Figures l and 2. It `will also be Anoted by reference to Figure 1, that the eaves I1 are disposed in a common plane which is substantially parallel to the ground surface.

A suitable guy rope I8 is secured to the apex of the tent roof adapted to be tied to a support, `such as a post or tree I9. To reinforce the ridge y.9 of the roof, a suitablecord or rope 2I may be ysecured to the fabric along the ridge S, andextends from the apex I5 at the front of the tent. to the lower rear corner` I6 ofthe roof. The reinforcing cord 2| may be .provided with suitable exposed locps 22, to the upper one of which the guy rope -I8 is secured. A similar guy rope 23 may be secured to the loop 22 at the rear corner I6 of the tent. The rope 23 may be fastened to a suitable anchor 24 in the form of va stake, stone, tree, root, or any other suitable object.

`Similar guy ropes 25 are Ysecured to the lat- ,erally extending corners 26 of the tent roof, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, adapted to be secured to suitable anchors 21.

The tent, as shown in Figures land 2, may be set up in a comparatively short time by simply securing the guy rope I8 to the trunk or branch of a tree, or to a post I9, as shown in Figure l,

Vand then securing the guy rope 23 to the anchor 24. When the guy ropes I8 and 23 have thus been secured to their respective anchors, the laterally extending guy ropes25 are secured to the anchors 21, whereupon the tent is completely set up. It will also be noted, by reference to Figure 2, that by shaping the roof blank as shown in Figure 3, when-the tent is set up, the roof will have two slopes or sections, each in the form of a triangle, their short sides forming the eaves I1, `and their long sides being united to form the ridge 9. The apex I5 of the roof is substantially vertically alined with the front corner o the tent, which facilitates the operation oi fastening ,the guy rope I8 to the support I9. A suitable door opening 28 is provided at Vthe juncture of thewalls .2 4and 5, whereby access may readily be had to the interior of the tent, as clearly illustrated in Figure l. One or both of the walls 2 and A5 may be provided with suitable flaps 23 for closing the opening 28.

In Figures 4 and 5, I have `shown a. tent structure comprising three tent units, generally indicated by the letters A, B, and C. The units A, B. and C are identical in construction to the tent unit shown in Figures `l `and 2. When erecting ,a multiple unit tent, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. the roof of the combined units is vmore or less in the form of a partial pyramid, the upper roof corners or apexes of the tent units A, B, and C cooperating to provide the apex 20 of the tent structure shown in Figure 4. The guy ropes I8 of the combined units A, B, and C are secured to a common support 3D, shown in Figures 4 and 5. By thus constructing a relatively larger tent from a plurality of units A, B, and C, three separate rooms or compartments may be provided, as will readily be understood by reference to Figure 4, or, if desired, the innermost flaps 29 may be folded back, or secured in open position, whereby the interiors of the units A, B, and C will be interconnected.

-,In Figures 6, '1, and 8, there is shown a tent structure of a slightly modied construction, comprising agable roof consisting of oppositely disposed triangular sections 3I and 32, having a common ridge 33 which may be provided with a suitable reinforcing cord or rope 34 having end loops .3 5 Vand H35 whereby the roof may be vsustained between suitable supports such as tree trunks31 by guy ropes 38. The laterally extending Vvcorners 39 ofthe tent roof may be sustained in operative position by suitable guy ropes 4I having their outer ends secured to Vsuitable stakes or anchors 42.

The blank from whichthe roof, shown in Figures 6 and l1is made, is preferably in the forni of Ya parallelogram v43, shown `in-Figure 8. -The upright wal1 s 44,.45, 4,6, and have their upper edges secured to the marginal edge portions of the roof sections M3I and.32, and their lower edges to a oor section 48, shown in Figure 6. One or more of the walls `may be provided with a suitable flap 49, to provide a closure for a door opening 5I, shownin Figure 6.

The tent shown in Figures 6 and 7, is similar in general construction to the tent disclosed in Figures 1 and 2, except that the ridge 33 is .horizontally disposed, wherebythe front and rear of the tent are substantially the same in height. The tent is erected by vsimply securing the guy ropes 38 to the upright posts r31 at the proper elevation. and then Asecuring the guy ropes 4I to the anchors 42, as shown in .Figures 6 and 7.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tent structure having its walls arranged Ito define a floor which is substantially rectangular 1n configuration, and a roof comprising a ridge disposed diagonally of the tent floor, whereby the ,entire roof is composed of two triangularly shapedsections. y

2.' A tent structure having its walls arranged to `define ancor which is substantially rectangular in configuration, and a roof for said tent comprising .a ridge disposed diagonally of the tent floor, whereby the entire roof is composed of rtwo triangul arly vshaped slopes.

3. A tent 'structure having its walls arranged to define a floor whichris substantially rectangular in configuration, .and a roof comprising a ridge disposed .diagonally of the tent floor, where- .by the entire rooffis composed of two triangularly shaped sections, said ridge inclining upwardly `from vone corner :of the roof to the oppositely dispcsedcorner thereof, whereby the apex of the vroof is located at one corner of the roof.

v4. Atent structure having its walls arranged to deiinea floor which `is substantially square in con- Yfiguration, a roof comprising two oppositely ldisposed sections each in the form of a triangle,

said triangular .roof .sections having their long sides connected together and forming the ridge ,of thereof, .the short sides of said triangular roof sections being disposed in a horizontal plane and forming the eaves of the roof, and whereby the ridge is inclined upwardly from one corner of the roof diagonally over the floor to a position above the opposite corner thereof, and guy ropes at the corners of the roof adapted to be secured to suitable supports to sustain the tent in erected position.

5. A tent structure having its walls arranged to dei-lne a floor which is substantially square in conguration, a roof for said tent comprising two oppositely disposed triangular sections of like shape, said triangular roof sections being joined together diagonally of the roof to provide a horizontal ridge, and guy ropes at the ends of the ridge adapted to be secured to suitable supports to sustain the tent therebetween.

6. A tent roof consisting of a flat sheet of fabric shaped substantially as a trapezium and having a diagonal line dividing it into two similar triangular sections having their longest sides united along said diagonal line, guy ropes secured to said sheet at the ends of said diagonal line whereby the roof may be suspended between spaced supports and whereby said diagonal line will form the ridge of the tent roof, and guy ropes secured to the opposed corners of said triangular roof` sections and cooperating with said first mentioned guy ropes to support the roof in operative position.

7. A tent roof consisting of a dat sheet of fabric shaped substantially as a trapezium and having a diagonal line dividing it into two opposed triangular secticns having their longest sides united along said diagonal line, guy ropes secured to said sheet at the ends of said diagonal line whereby the roof may be suspended between suitable supports, and whereby said diagonal line will form the ridge of the tent roof, and guy ropes secured to the opposed corners of said triangular roof sections and cooperating with said first mentioned guy ropes to support the roof in operative position, and whereby the ridge of the roof will be disposed diagonally of the tent floor.

8. A tent roof consisting of a at sheet of Vfabric shaped substantially as a trapezium and having a diagonal line dividing it into two opposed triangles having their longest sides united along said diagonal line, guy ropes secured to said sheet at the ends of said diagonal line, spaced supports to which said ropes may be secured to support the tent roof in operative position, and whereby said diagonal line will form the ridge of the roof, other guy ropes secured to the opposed corners of said triangular roof sections and cooperating with said first mentioned guy ropes to support the roof in operative position, and wall sections secured to the marginal edges of said sheet and forming upright side walls, when the tent is erected.

THOMAS W. BARNARD. 

